Former U.S. Representative Chris Bell running for Governor of Texas
He was previously nominated for the office in 2006.
Chris Bell has long been active in Texas Democratic politics. That includes a stint in Congress and as the party’s nominee for Governor in 2006. He is now seeking the nomination for that office once again.
Bell has entered the Democratic primary for the 2026 nod for Governor of Texas. He joins a field of candidates that includes State Representative Gina Hinojosa and businessman Andrew White, a son of former Governor Mark White. The current Texas Governor is Republican Greg Abbott, who is seeking re-election.
In 2006, Bell won the Democratic primary for the office by a wide margin over ex-U.S. Representative and Navy officer Robert Gammage. But he later came up short in the general election to Republican incumbent and future U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry in a four-way race.
Bell first stood for an elected office in 1984 with an unsuccessful bid for the Texas House of Representatives from the 97th District in the panhandle region. He later joined the Houston City Council in 1997. Four years later, Bell was a candidate for Mayor of Houston, landing in a distant third place behind incumbent Lee P. Brown and ex-City Councilman Orlando Sanchez.
In 2002, Bell was elected to the United States House of Representatives from the 25th District of Texas. By 2004, Bell had been controversially moved to the 9th District, That year, he fell in the Democratic primary to Al Green, a former Harris County, Texas justice of the peace and the eventual general election victor.
Later, Bell was a nominee in a 2008 special election for a State Senate seat from the 17th District. The race ultimately went to Republican Joan Huffman, a county judge and eventual Senate President Pro Tempore.
Bell was also a candidate in the 2020 Democratic primary for one of Texas’ seats in the United States Senate, finishing in sixth place. The primary winner in M.J. Hegar later lost the general election to Republican incumbent and former Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn.
Robert Christopher Bell is a native of Abilene, Texas and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the South Texas College of Law. He has two sons with his wife Alison Ayres.